Automatic railroad safety gate



Feb. 5, 1929.Y 1,701,266

w. Kol-:REER

AUTOMATIC RAILROAD SAFETY GATE Filed Jan. 24, 1928 L- i; ll 5 fm 304114145M .y fasi. x J5 Z INVENToR J6 J4 3 J7 lEE ATTORNEY Patented Feb.`rl'i, 1929.

UNITEDSTA WILLIAM KQERBER, OFNEWYORK, N. Y.

' AUTOMATIC RAILROAD SAFETY GATE.

Application filed January 24,` 1928. ASeriall No. 249,002.

`Thisinvention relates to a new and useful device in the nature of arailroadsafety gate especially adapted asa means'of guarding vrailroadcrossings.` v Y rThe object ofthe invention isv to provide a railroadsafety gate embodying certain new and novel 'features hereinafter morefully com panying 'drawing'.

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a 'railroad crossingshowing.myimproved'safety gate installed thereat. i Y 'f z Fig. 2 is anenlarged side elevational view of one of my improved safety gates,partly in section so as tomore clearly show the construction thereof. ii y ,'Fig. 3 iis a transverse sectional viewftak'en on the lin-e 3-3 ofFig. 2. i y

Fig'. 4^is a sectional View of the gateoperv ating mechanism as embodiedin my im# proved device. i v

Fig. 5 is a topplan thereof. 'f

Fig'. 6 isa detail view of thegate cylinder, partly in section so as tomoreA clearly show the construction thereof.,l Y l Fig. 7 is an endelevationalviewvofthe pis# ton as embodied in the gate operatingmechanism. f I i Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line8-8 of Fig.7. n .y 1

Fig. 9 is a detail 'side elevationalv view i1- lustrating a furtherdevelopment'offmy improved device. Y Y Y InFig; have shown the usualrailroad'tracks 10 and ll, .intercepted by the road 12er-highway.

-The abovel described constitute an ordinary railroad crossing such 'aslare' necessary to allow vehicles, pedestrians andthe :like to cross the.sai d railroadtracks.r

.As here embodied my improvedfdevice-embodies a numberof gates eachcomprising'an arm '13 secured intermediately, as at 1.4, to the verticalrod l5, rotatively mounted in the support'l.V ThesupportlGisprovidedwith a lower flangedelement 17, secured asy 'at'lS tothe base lmember' 19. The base member 19 A'is extendedracross the-box20.v Thesignal lever 2l is hinged at one extremity tothe arm '13,.as aty22, by the usual hinge,and isprovided with an enlarged i free extremity523,`

vpainted preferably white and having affixed Vthereto a suitablewarningsignal 24, painted'y .preferably red' or any desired lprominentcolor.v Thefexpansion spring 25 is secured described, claimed andillustrated in ythe yac'- j l of theaccompanying drawing, I

vtioned lever 21 in set forth.

to the lever'2l andto the rarm 13, at the said hinge point 22, as ameansof normally hold# mg the lever 21 in an extended position.

The rod l5 is rotatively carried in the be'aring 26, secured as'at 2,7,yto theibottom of the said box :20. The bearing 26 has 'y formed therelnan aperture adaptedvr to receive the lower extremity of the saiid'r'odl5. The lever 28 Aissecured iutermediately tothe lower. por'- tion-ofthe rod l5. f Y' v Y' The gate cylinder 29 is 'of tubular constructionprovided withclosed ends 30and 31.

velement 34,'ofgthe bracket 35, secured as at 36,

to the end ofthe said box 20. *The piston 37 1s slidablv 'mounted in thecylinder 29, `and-is provideduwith the. usual piston'grod T385, ex 'Ktended therefromV throughv anv n aperture formed in thesaidendBl.- Theexten ded extremity of the rod38 is 'secured' asf-Aat 39dV to theextended extremity'of the said leverl 28.

'f The cylinder 29` has formed.therei1`1,- in prox.-

imityto the end 30 elongated openings 40. The sleeve 4l isslidably'm'ounted-on Vthe cylinder 29 andhas'for'm'ed thereinanelongated diagonal openingf42,adapted to receive the'.v setscrew 43j,as a means of securing-thesleeve 41 to thecylinder'29. fllhelatterdescribed construction issucli as will lpermit the sleeve f k41 tobeslidably positioned, as designated by the reference numerals 44 and45, so as to regulate the rateor speedof the return of the piston ,37,1lThetension-spring 46 is secured to .the opposite extended extremityofthe lever 28 and Y"to the side of `thebox 20, as aA ineansof normallyholding the above .men-

the position 'as hereinafter Theoperating lever 47 is pivotally securedat'its lower extremity, ras at 48 to the bracket 49, secured as at Otothe bottom of thebox 51 and is normally held in an angularly in,-.elin'ed position by means of the tension springf77,=secured'thereto,;in proximity to the free extremityof the saidvlever 47 and to one end of a flexible member 73. 1 1 Y' ff *Thecylinder-52 of tubular construction provided with closed ends53 and 54.L The end 54 is provided with yanextended elem'entv havingformed'thereinan aperture adaptedl to l receive the eye bolt '56,"as'ameansof pivotally attaching th'ecylinder 52. toene endkof the vrespectively.

box 51. The piston'57 is slidably mounted in the cylinder 52 and isprovided with the usual piston rod 58 extended through an apertureformed in the end 53. The extended extremity of the rod 58 has formedtherein an aperture adapted to receive the eye bolt 59, as a means otpivotally attaching the rod 58 intermediately to the lever 47. Flappervalves 60 are hinged as at 61 to the brackets (32 secured kas at 68 tothe tace ot the piston 57 and-are adapted to close or cover theapertures 6 4- .tionedbox 51 is provided with a top cover G5,

having termedV therein an aperture, closed or covered by the manholecover titi, as a means of permitting the gate operating mechanism to beinspected and oiled. v

VV.lt is understood that a pair. of my improved gate operatingmechanisms are provided, designated by the reference numerals 67 and 68positioned intermediate tlie rails of the said tracks 10 andl1,respectively, at a desired distance from the road 12. It is alsounderst-ood that tour of the above mentioned and described gates areprovided, a pair of which designated by the reference numerals 69 and 70are positioned aty the opposite sides of the road 12 any desireddistance from the tracks 1 0 and 11, respectively. The second pair otthe above mentioned gates, designated by the reference numerals 7l and72 are similarly positioned-intermediate thel gates 69 and 70,

Referring particularly to Fig. 17 the flexible members 7 Sa're shownsecured to theextended extremities of. thelevers 28 of the gates 69, 70,71 and72,. and extending over various pulleys for connection Vwith thegate operating mechanisms 67 and `68.. These flexible members are shownconnected l together over the portion o'l the road where the trackscross and here extend over various pulleys 80. The arrang ment is suchthat a train approaching the crossing on either one ot the tracks movesthe lever 47 oit one or the other oit the mechanisms 67, 68 for drawingupon the flexible members 78. This motion is transmit-ted to rotate eachof thelevers 28 for closing all oit they gates. It

is pointed out that the levers l? are connected with a dash potarrangement within the cylinders 52, arranged for very rapidly vassumingits extended position.l This, very rapidly in turn, turnsthe gates intodanger positions. The dash pot arrangement-within thecylinders 52 isarranged for very slowly returning to its original positi-on for veryslowly opening the gates from theirclosed danger `positions. f

'It is obvious that the above described mechanism is suoli as willpermit the warning signals 24 to be pivoted outwardly as designated bythe reference numeral 8l, when thefree extremities oi the levers li7 areengaged or struck by the cowcatcher eta locomotive approaching the road12, on the tracks-10 0r 11, as a means of Warning vehicles, pedestriansor the like on the road 12 approaching the tracks 10'and 11, of the saidlocomotive. It is also obvious that in the event that a vehicle or thelike should strike the levers 21, or' the above mentioned gates that thesaid levers will hinge or swing out oic the Way preventing majory injuryto either the vehicle -or the said levers. It is also obvious that theaction of` the above mentioned cylinders will allow the saidgates torelatively, slowly resume. their normal open position, allowing'the saidtrain to pass the road 12 prior .tothe return or" the said gates totheir normal open position.

ln Fig. 9 oithe accompanying drawing, l have shown expansion springs85,co-axial on the rods 87 securedto the iiexibler meinber78 and interposedtherein. The rods 87 are slidably mounted in the yoke 89 and aresimilarly mounted in theI adjustable .members 9() and 91 respectively,which are slidably mounted in the yoke 89, in proximity to the oppositeends thereof and which are secured hereto by means or" the bolts 92 andV98 respectively. The above described construction is such as will permitthe said adjustable members90 and 91 to be positioned relative theextremities 'of the yoke 89 so as to vary the tensioningot the saidflexible member, and which `will allow the above describedinechanism tofunction as a shock eliminator asis obvious trom the toregoingdescription. This tensioning means is intendedior insertion anywherealong thel lengths of.v the flexible members 78. l/Vlien D these members7 8 are suddenly drawn byfreason ot the locomotive moving the lever 47,k

these tensioning means will operatetory ab.- sorbing this suddenshockand thenitransmit the motion along the flexible members.V

Having thus described my .inventioiiwhat I claim as new 4and desiretosecure byLetteis Patent of the United Statesis- 1. Anautomaticraili'oad safety gate, comprising agate element arranged tormoving from ,normaliposition to danger indicating positioma dash pothaving a piston adapted lor moving rapidly from normal position,andslowlyfback to normal position,A a lever conneetedwitli the dash Vpotpiston and arianged vfor` engagement by-a train to rapidly move the dashpotpiston. from normal position, springs arranged fory urging the dashpot piston back to normal position, the said return motion being very-`slow,- and means for connecting the dash pot piston action with f thesaid gate element for movi-ng the same from normal todanger position asthe said prising a gate element arrangedl for moving trom normalposition tok danger` indicating position, a dash pothaving apistonadapted i for moving rapidly from normal position7 and ico SoWly back tonormal position, a pvoted ing the dash pot pstonooton with the saidlever connected with the dash pot piston and gate element for moving theSanne from nor arranged for engagement by a train to rapmal todangeroposition as the said piston 10 idy movekthe dash pot piston fromnormal moves from and to normal positions.

5 postonnneansfm urging the dash potpston Y In testimony 'whereof Ihaveaxed my back to normal position, the Said retmnno-y signfitmfe. tionbeing very slow, and means fol'conneobl WILLIAM KoERBER..

